Dear friends
We are grateful for the special gift that Bright Hope World sent for the Segadores Mission children’s ministry.
In 2014 we continued to teach the Bible chronologically (from the start) through the stories of the Bible, so that they have a good foundation of who God is and what He is like, and that they understand the need of a Saviour. In 2014 we have arrived at the lesson: Jesus heals the paralysed man. They are really happy to learn about the Bible, to know God; what He is like and who He is. They say “Now we don’t believe in idols, nor the lies of the devil, when we were young and we cried, our parents said to us, be quiet the devil is coming. All of this is a lie.”
We had a Christmas drama production with the young people of the church. The drama was exactly the same as they understood about the true meaning of Christmas. We are now discipling three people from the community so that they will continue to teach the Bible when we aren’t there. Some Sundays, after the Bible classes we give a refreshment to the children.
At the end of the year we gave them prizes for attending. We gave them new clothes as this helps them a lot. Their parents don’t buy them new clothes because they are extremely poor.
God has been faithful in 2014 in providing food for the children’s dining room. This provides food for the orphans and for children of disabled parents. The faithfulness of the children is motivating. They get up really early to help at the devotional at church at 5.30am (before going to eat).
When they are in the native community the children desire to have a toy or a bicycle and their parents say to them “Pray to God and ask God to provide for them”. With God's help the ministry, Herederos de la Gracia (Heirs of Grace) has supplied some of the necessities and the children feel very content to know God responds to their prayers. When it’s their birthday or Christmas we are able to give the parents an offering to help them buy gifts for their children.
The teachers are working with around 50 children every Saturday. They come from a squatter settlement to learn the Word of God. The parents testify that the children are changing. Now there are three young people who are helping the teachers in teaching the Bible.
On Saturdays, Julia prepares lunch for 50 children. Every three months they celebrate the children’s birthdays.
At Christmas time they celebrate the birth of Jesus with dramas that they act out themselves as they understand the Word of God.
We finish with a ‘chocolatada’ (this is simply a Peruvian tradition when children come together from communities, to drink hot chocolate and eat panettone bread (or normal bread rolls). Often there are games and dancing, then follows the giving of gifts and toys).
We give gifts to the children who have faithfully served during the year.
I will never get tired of being grateful for the unconditional help our Peruvian children give.
Personal StoriesMatias (5 years old) is the son of Romanian missionaries. One day he heard that his parents didn’t have any money because they had problems with their credit card at the bank. He took out a little bit of savings he had and said to them, “Here, I have some money, this can help you”.
God bless
Antonia Yalta
Director of Heirs of Grace